Today is January 3rd.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.

Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”

Today’s reading is from the book of Genesis, chapter 3.

Genesis 3:6-10 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

This is the story of the fall from grace. Two common experiences that accompany us when we sin are shame and fear. In shame, we try to cover ourselves, try to make ourselves presentable, to pretend that everything is fine when really it is not. With fear, we hide. We hide from

ourselves, we hide from others, we hide from God. As you think over your life, where have you experienced shame from sin? Out of fear, how have you tried to hide from yourself, or others, or God?

When we sin, we sometimes think that God has left us, that he has withdrawn his presence from us. But God hadn’t left Adam and Eve. They had left him. He is still there in the Garden, lovingly searching for them. He called out, “Where are you?” As you hear the passage again, consider how God is present to you, even when you haven’t wanted to be present to him.

Genesis 3:6-10 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

Today, when you sin as we all do, can you remind yourself that God is seeking you? Can you bring your whole self into his presence, knowing that he covers your shame and forgives your sins?

Lord God, Almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought me in safety to this new day: Preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do, direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Today's worship song:

You're All I Need
Heaven & Earth Worship (Spotify)
Vineyard Columbus